Racing at 200 miles per hour around an oval, with little to no straight lines. Competing with 40 cars, with all of their drivers trying to get ahead and win. The dangers and risks are clear – NASCAR is a hazardous occupation. But drivers enjoy the thrill and adventure of it despite knowing the risks and witnessing some of the most freakish crashes.

The risks of motorsport racing are no secret. All motorsports have seen horrific accidents, from MotoGP to Formula One to NASCAR. And accidents are not restricted to the top leagues; even the lower leagues of all motorsports have seen some very bad accidents. These accidents aren’t just scary to look at but can be fatal for the driver.

The first example that comes to mind is Dale Earnhardt’s death in the 2001 Daytona 500. One of the most prolific and legendary drivers that NASCAR ever had witnessed, passed away as a result of that accident. While NASCAR has a record of 29 fatalities while racing, the last being Earnhardt’s, Formula One has an even worse record.

F1 has seen 39 driver deaths, including those of Ayrton Senna and Jules Bianchi. It has also witnessed 5 track marshall deaths. Frequency of fatalities have reduced in F1 in comparison to the previous century as a result of increased safety and protection equipments coming to the game. It is still deplorable that the most recent incidents occurred less than a decade back (in 2014 when Bianchi died in the Japanese GP).

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NASCAR has definitely become safer for drivers over the past decades, but innovation must never stop. Driver safety must continue to be the topmost priority for NASCAR, teams, and manufacturers.

Does NASCAR need to start thinking about crowd safety too?

Driver safety has obviously been the priority for NASCAR, and the results of that have shown. Despite wrecks and crashes, no fatalities have been recorded since 2001.

But given the speed and momentum of cars when they are involved in a wreck, is it time for NASCAR to ponder over better safety measures for those in the grandstands?

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Watch This Story: NASCAR Fans Demand a Suspension for Kyle Larson as He “Almost Killed” Bubba Wallace’s Teammate’s Crew

The video of Austin Dillon crashing would really raise the hair on the back of your neck. But the fact that Dillon came out of the crash, safe and sound speaks volumes about today’s cars. Hopefully, NASCAR doesn’t have to witness another dark day again.